Plant-based diets for healthy aging
Official title: Plant-based Diets and Healthy Aging - the Tzu Chi Aging Study (TCAS)
Run by National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan · NCT07151365 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether vegetarian and plant-based diets help middle-aged and older Tzu Chi volunteers maintain physical function and cognitive health as they age.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 40 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 5000 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Dalin, Chiayi) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 1, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 31, 2028 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | November 10, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07151365 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Tzu Chi Foundation volunteers aged 40 or older who can attend the 2-day comprehensive health examination at Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital and complete dietary and health questionnaires are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Individuals with diagnosed dementia or severe cognitive impairment who cannot complete questionnaires, and pregnant people, are excluded and will not be able to participate or gain direct benefit from this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This prospective cohort will recruit about 5,000 Tzu Chi volunteers aged 40 and older and follow them with comprehensive 2-day health examinations at Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital every three years. Diet is measured with a validated food frequency questionnaire, a new Taiwan Diet Quality Calculator (validated in a subcohort), and optional food diaries, while blood biomarkers and genetic data are collected to characterize nutritional status and risk factors. The study links dietary patterns, nutrient biomarkers, physical function tests, sarcopenia measures, and cognitive assessments to examine how plant-based and vegetarian diets relate to aging-related outcomes. Because the cohort has a high proportion of vegetarians and low smoking and alcohol use, researchers expect reduced confounding when interpreting diet–health relationships.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could inform dietary and lifestyle recommendations that reduce risk of sarcopenia, cognitive decline, and other age-related conditions and help older adults preserve function.
How similar studies have gone: Previous Tzu Chi cohorts have reported protective associations between vegetarian diets and lower incidences of diabetes, stroke, gout, cataracts, insomnia, and gallstones, but randomized evidence on causal effects remains limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 40 years or older. * Volunteers of the Tzu Chi Foundation. * Participating in the 2-day comprehensive health examination program. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant individual. * Diagnosed with dementia or poor cognition resulting in inability to answer questionnaires.
Where it's running
-
Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital.
Dalin, Chiayi, Taiwan Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Hsueh-Ting Chiu, PhD — National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan
- Study coordinator: Hsueh-Ting Chiu, PhD
- Email: tinachiu@nhri.edu.tw
- Phone: +886-5-6325080
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.